Traces Left Behind
by eveninganna
Summary: When a series of murders occur across Manhattan, Detectives Jackson and di Angelo are on the case. Apt, considering that these murders all seem to trace back to one very exclusive club, and one very elusive group of people–a group of people our heroes know all too well. '20's AU. Slight KC crossover. Percy/Annabeth, Nico/Rachel.


**Author's Note:** Okay, this fic. What can I say about this fic. Firstly, it's written for the comm. pjo_xchange on livejournal, and the prompt's too long to copy to here, as it is multifaceted. Basically though, the prompt declared interest in Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo, AU fic, the Eleusinian Mysteries (which is something I'll talk more about in the note after this fic, if you don't know what they were), noir murder/mystery, and crossover with_ The Kane Chronicles_ (I'm not marking it as a crossover with _Kane Chronicles_, though, because it's minor). Basically, if you combine all of those things, that's what this fic is. Unfortunately it's written waaaay late, but I feel I should include that, as this fic is weird. It's set in the '20's (AU, obviously, and prohibition, which is a major part of the plot) and as for the magical elements of it, well, they're very understated. As I said, AU.

Anyway, originally this fic was supposed to be just a one-shot, but the plot became grander and grander, to the point where I realized I had about 9,000 words and I was only halfway done. So, it'll probably be a two-parter, and it shouldn't be too long before the concluding chapter is up. And I must thank saturninepen (her username on lj) for beta-ing, and skypirateb (also an lj username) for giving me more info on the Eleusinian myths, so I could make successful parallels in my story. I hope this fic isn't a train wreck and you all enjoy it!

**Warnings:** '20's sexism/racism (not from our favorite characters, but it's there to make this fic more realistic, considering the times), violence, cursing, sexuality~ (although a lot of this won't _really _occur until the second chapter).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or The Kane Chronicles.

* * *

**1922**

"It's moments like this when I wonder why we became cops," Percy Jackson said mournfully, frowning down at the bloody body which had yet to be covered in a white sheet.

"It's moments like this when I am reminded why we became cops," Nico di Angelo remarked dryly, crouching down to get a better look.

"Well, then it's moments like this when I wonder why I petitioned for you to become my partner," Percy said, with what he hoped was a tone of finality.

"I'm not to blame for your poor life choices, Percy," Nico said lowly, turning the body over, the sound of its back thumping onto the ground incredibly morbid. Percy flinched slightly and Nico recoiled his hand, but other than that there was no visible emotion on his face.

"They really do a number on these, don't they?" Percy said, earning a glare from Nico that was either his stop-saying-obvious-things look or his perhaps-you-should-just-shut-up look. The two were quite similar, and equally annoying.

"They left the same signature with this body as they did the others?" Nico asked, standing up and taking off his black bowler hat, passing it from hand to hand.

"Unfortunately, yes," Percy said, he himself having been fussing with his hat so much he was sure it wouldn't take its proper form again.

Nico nodded and cleared his throat, the sound awfully loud in the silence – too far away from mainstream Manhattan to hear any of the traffic or citizens. He gestured to the ambulance, full of medical examiners ready to take the body away.

"I suppose we should tell them they can take it to the morgue now, then?" Percy nodded at Nico, and then turned, doing the same to the M.E.'s. As they rushed toward the scene, glad to be getting this over with, Nico and Percy began walking to their car, their long strides matching each other's perfectly. The other detectives who had come to the scene had left a while ago, but the body had been saved for Detective Jackson and Detective di Angelo; it was their case, after all.

Percy and Nico got into their car, Nico in the driver's seat as always (Percy used to fight him on this point, but had decided after a while that letting Nico drive was preferable to his whining in the passenger seat). Nico put the keys in the ignition, and they drove away from the scene of the crime.

"Do you have this guy's address on you?" Nico asked, driving away from the crummy warehouses where the body had been dumped.

"Yeah," Percy said, fishing his notepad out of his inner jacket pocket. " Wrote it down before they collected the evidence. His name was Gregory Wallace. West 29th and 10th Ave. He had family, too, from the looks of the pictures he had in his wallet." Percy's voice took a mournful tone.

"That's not too far from here," Nico said, not commenting on the family. He made a u-turn at the next chance, and began driving toward the victim's apartment.

"So let's go over this again," Percy said, after a brief silence. "This is the fourth victim we've found by the warehouses. All four were considerably beaten, and, ah, and then - "

"Castrated?" Nico's voice was monotone.

"That," Percy said. "So this is obviously the same guy."

"Obviously," Nico said, sounding a bit annoyed now. He had been the one to say, at the scene of the very first murder (after the general shock from everyone over the brutality of the crime had died down a bit) that there would be more. He didn't give any actual reasoning to why he thought so, but he stood his ground; when Nico got an idea stuck in his head, he stayed by it, hell or high water. When the second body had turned up, everyone had grudgingly admitted that he was probably right, but had still held out hope that perhaps the murderer would stop, for whatever reason (another thing Nico had always found amusing: who would become a cop just to hope that the criminals would simply stop, instead of actually trying to solve the case?). Still, at four murders now, two things were clear: this was the work of one person, not just some horrifying coincidence, and they weren't going to be stopping any time soon.

"I still don't get that," Percy murmured, looking out the window.

"Get what?"

"Why the castration? And why these men? In particular, I mean? None of them worked together, or knew each other or anything. They're all different ages, none of their apartments are close by, and just...it doesn't make sense. It seems random."

"It's not random," Nico said, staring straight ahead.

"What – how do you know?" Percy asked, getting annoyed. There were several drawbacks to having one of the smartest and youngest detectives in the city as your partner. One of them being, Nico didn't like to talk about the cases. He preferred to take everything in, and Percy could practically see Nico putting the pieces together in his head sometimes, but not at all interested in divulging any of the information. It wasn't even like he didn't want to, it was more that he had no _need _to. If the thought passed through his head, there was a good chance it was correct, or would at least lead them to something else promising. In fact, he probably didn't even realize he was keeping Percy out of the loop. Nico reminded Percy of his own fiancée, Annabeth, in that way. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.

"They all go to the same clubs," Nico said, and then quickly corrected himself, saying, "Well, so far there's two clubs that all of the victims have gone to repeatedly, excluding this one, although I'm sure he'll match up. Let's just hope that this guy has only one in common, so then we won't have to go and check out both clubs."

Percy opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and closed it once more. "So, you got all of this from...?"

"The families, of course," Nico said. "While you were busy comforting them and having bedside manner and such –"

"So, the things you're incapable of doing," Percy interjected.

"– I was actually asking questions." Nico finished, ignoring Percy.

Percy spluttered. "I ask questions!"

"Sure, sure," Nico said. "Like, _What a nice couch, who's your furniture dealer? _Or _Do you have coffee? _I, on the other hand, actually ask about what the victims _do_. Or did, anyway."

"And you think that the fact that there are two clubs in town that all of these men have in common is the link?"

Nico shrugged. "It's the only link there is."

"The only link you can _see, _you mean." Percy exhaled. "So I comfort and tell them everything's going to be okay –"

"When it's not," Nico interrupted.

"Yes, thank you for that bit of unhelpful information, Nico. And you do what, exactly? Ask insensitive questions about what speaks their dead husbands and fathers went to, while they're going through what is probably one of the hardest moments of their life?"

"Isn't that our job, or something?" Nico said sardonically, taking a sharp right.

"Well, you could do for some sensitivity, I think."

"That sounds like something Rachel would say," Nico remarked. "Is she talking about me behind my back, now?"

"Absolutely," Percy said, smiling. "Thank God for it, too. I'm really starting to get to the bottom of the enigma that is Nico di Angelo, thanks to her."

"Yeah, make light of the fact that an older woman took advantage of me in my more impressionable years," Nico said, but even in the darkness of the car, Percy could tell he was trying hard not to grin.

"Oh, is this you trying to convince me that she's no longer taking advantage of you?"

"Shut up."

"Maybe she'll marry you, and they'll write about you in all the gossip columns, calling you a gold digging floozy."

"I don't think that's what they'd call me."

"Then obviously you have never read a gossip column."

"Nor would I ever admit to it if I did," Nico conceded, pulling up to the sidewalk and putting the car in park. "Now, are you ready to go try and get some actual answers?"

**-o-**

The children had begun to swarm Percy after he and Nico had informed the recently widowed Mrs. Wallace of the situation, and asked her all the basic questions. This tended to be their routine when they were to be the bearers of bad news for a case; they'd do the textbook introductions and questions together, Nico would shut up while Percy gave his condolences and Nico nodded, and then, if there were children involved, Percy would distract them while Nico asked any particularly gruesome or harsh questions. They'd been doing this for a while now, and their process was smooth and efficient, like a well-oiled machine.

Nico glanced over his shoulder to see that Percy was still managing to keep the Wallace children occupied in the living room. Percy had already given Nico a good amount of time to question Mrs. Wallace, allowing Nico to go a little deeper into the questioning: _"Can you think of anyone who'd have wanted to harm your husband?" "Was your husband acting unlike himself as of late?" _The hardest part, by far, had been informing Mrs. Wallace of the unique condition her husband's body had been found in. He'd dealt with this with all the other families, too, and it was always outrageously uncomfortable for Nico, who would have rather leave these kinds of answers to the morgue practitioners. Grieving families could be quite insistent, however. That Nico knew. Shaking himself of that thought, he silently appreciated Percy for being so good with kids, and decided it was time to ask the question he really wanted the answer to.

"Ma'am," Nico began, "I still have a few questions I need you to answer."

Mrs. Wallace nodded, a tissue in hand, her eyes puffy and red and welled with tears. She had a silk robe pulled tight around her, and her brown hair was coming out of its loose bun, spreading messily around her face. She wasn't a pretty woman, Nico thought, but she had kind eyes, even through the tears.

"Did your husband frequent any gin mills? Speakeasies? Anything of that sort?" he asked.

The woman looked alarmed at the question first, as all people who were asked this question by a cop were. Nico waved his hand dismissively at her reluctance, as if to say _I could not care less_, and the woman visibly relaxed.

"Well...I suppose there were a few, ah, restaurants and other locations that we went to, y-yes" Mrs. Wallace said, her voice thick.

"I'm looking for more...exclusive ones, maybe?"

"Um, well," the woman began, uncomfortable, "there's Jas and Charlie's 21, and um, oh, of course Club E. Other than that..." Mrs. Wallace shook her head, her voice breaking on the last word.

Nico cursed inwardly. Both of these locations were the two that all the men had in common. He'd never been to either location, and in fact, he'd never even heard of them. Well, perhaps he'd heard the names a few times, but social spots had never been his cup of tea, and whenever anyone started talking about the hottest club or speakeasy or what have you of the moment, Nico tuned out. Percy would have probably heard of both or even have been to one of them before, but for now it was Nico asking the questions; he and Percy could go over it later.

"Alright," Nico said. "Would you say he went to one of them more frequently, or...?"

The widow looked downright uncomfortable by this particular line of questioning, and even more frightening, like she may burst into tears again. Nico quickly decided not to push it any further. All of the family members of the victims he had asked this question had a similar reaction, which he supposed was understandable. And really, the last thing he was up for was another bout of sobbing.

"Well, thank you for your time and help, ma'am," Nico said, mumbling his condolences awkwardly and more or less pulling Percy away from the swarm of children, most of whom were simply excited to be up past midnight, not at all aware that from this point onwards their lives would never be the same, and that these strange men in their dark suits and with their melancholy expressions were only there to find out exactly why that was.

Nico was just walking out the door when he heard Percy ask Mrs. Wallace a question from behind him.

"Ma'am," Percy said politely, taking a few steps toward her. "How'd you get this?" He gestured to the spot that her slinking robe left revealed, where neck met shoulder.

From where Nico was standing, he could just make out several dark marks on Mrs. Wallace's shoulder. Bruises. _How didn't I notice that?_

Mrs. Wallace hastily pulled her robe up into place, and said, "It's nothing," not at all convincingly.

Percy made to say something else, put Nico walked forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's late. We've taken enough of the Wallace family's time." Point of fact, the gathered children had begun to fall asleep right there in the living room, piled up like a litter of puppies. Mrs. Wallace looked perversely grateful at Nico's interruption.

"Alright," Percy relented, voice tight. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Wallace, and again, I'm sorry for your loss."

Mrs. Wallace nodded, and Percy and Nico exited the apartment. As they made their way down the four story walk-up, Percy turned his head toward Nico, fixing him with a look that was part disappointment, part anger.

"It's not our business," Nico said as they reached the ground floor, where they stopped. Nico couldn't quite make himself meet Percy's eyes. "We got what we came for."

They stood there a few moments longer. Nico still couldn't bring himself to meet Percy's eyes, but he could feel his stare.

Finally, Percy let out a world weary sigh.

Nico looked up. "Can we go now?" Percy shrugged in response, but they left the building, climbing back into their car.

Right as Nico turned the keys in the ignition, Percy said something that truly surprised him.

"Maybe whoever killed Mr. Wallace did her a favor."

**-o-**

The next day when Percy walked into the station, Nico was already there, leaning over a clump of desks he had pulled together. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled to his elbows messily, his hair sloppy and unkempt as always. A couple of days of not bothering to shave were shadowed across his jaw. He still had his gun holster on, although Percy noticed that the gun was on the desk. Nico's hand was resting by it, clenching and unclenching.

Percy walked over to him, stopping at his side and looking at what Nico had laid down on the desks. It was a map of Manhattan, and Percy saw quickly that he had all of the victim's addresses pinpointed with tacks, red string drawn taut beneath them. It was then that Percy realized that although none of the addresses were particularly close together or forming any distinct pattern, they did surround an area of Western Manhattan.

"Here," Nico said, using a pin to stab a location within the boundaries of the red string. "Club E." He straightened up then, stretching in a cat-like manner, before folding his arms with an air of finality. He didn't look too ecstatic, and neither was Percy, now that he saw what Nico was getting at.

"Nico, just because the victim's homes all surround this club and not the other doesn't –"

"I'm aware," Nico interrupted tartly. "But it's a start, at least. And anyway, I have better hopes for this one being where we'll find the murderer for other reasons."

Percy waited for Nico to go on, and when it became apparent that he wasn't going to, he sighed, saying, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"This one's more exclusive than Jas and Charlie's," Nico said shortly. "They don't have club status, like E does."

Percy nodded knowingly. "You would think rich people are behind it."

Nico looked unimpressed by the quip. "I realize that it could just as easily be Jas and Charlie's or, gods forbid, that this could something else entirely. But everything considered, conspicuous is what we should be looking for right now, and if this club's not the very definition of the word I don't know what is."

Percy ran a hand through his hair. "I've heard of the place, but only in passing. What'd you find on it?"

Nico shrugged. "Nothing to write home about. From what I can gather, they have a strict code of conduct and are picky about their customers." Nico paused for a moment. "Which is the one thing I don't get."

"'Cause none of the victims are well to do?"

"Mm."

"Well, I guess we'll find out tonight, won't we?" At Nico's confused look Percy said, "I'm assuming we'll be checking them out tonight? We need to hurry if we wanna solve this case before there's another body dumped somewhere on the Eastern seaboard."

"Oh, yeah, of course," Nico said.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"What's what?"

Percy gave him a look. Nico sighed. "There's something...off, about this club. Which is why I'm sure it must be the answer. It's on the records and everything, it's listed as a speak, but then the file's...weirdly empty. As if no one's even bothered looking into it."

Percy shrugged. "There are plenty of speaks the Prohibition Agents don't bother going after."

"Yeah, but this file is practically _blank_, Percy. They tend to at least have the information, even if they don't have the manpower. It just doesn't sit right with me."

Percy smiled. He'd always been amused and intrigued by how much Nico needed to _know_. He knew it was the only reason he'd taken the job; he may have taken some pleasure in helping the families of the deceased find peace in knowing what happened to their loved ones, or in putting a criminal behind bars so they could never hurt anyone again, but that hadn't been enough for him to actually go through the process of being a law enforcer. He just wanted to know the answer, and then he wanted to move onto the next puzzle, and being a detective was a pretty good way to make that a part of your everyday life – as unsatisfying as it proved to be, at times. This was yet another way Nico reminded Percy of Annabeth; it was too bad she couldn't be a cop, too, Percy thought, not for the first time. She'd have them all beat.

"Well, I guess we'll know more after tonight then, won't we?" Percy said, not sure if he was reassuring Nico, or himself.

**-o-**

The jazz could be heard from outside the joint.

Club E was located far west of Broadway on West 24th Street. There were no windows to see in, and the sign above the door that read _Club E_ had been pasted on with cheap red letters that had begun to chip. It wasn't a pretty place by any means, but there was something about it that just made you want to go inside, and see what all the fuss was about, sure that you wouldn't be disappointed. It was out of the way of the spotlight, and somehow this did give it a feeling of being even more exclusive. The building was reverberating from the music and laughter and conversation coming from the inside. A large group of loiterers were hanging around outside, leaning against the black fence or pacing the sidewalk. None tried to enter the club, though, nor did any get too close to the door.

There were a few steps leading down from the sidewalk to the black door, light pouring from beneath it promisingly. The crowd of people standing on the sidewalk was parted to either side of it, leaning against the black, rot-iron fences on either side of the steps, smoking and talking quietly. None of them made any move towards the door, or even paid Percy and Nico much attention as they got out of their car and walked towards the entrance of the club.

Percy and Nico took in the faces and demeanors of the different loiterers. None of them were particularly well-dressed, but none of them were poorly dressed either. Most of them had cigars in their hands or hanging from their lips. Leaning against the fence next to the steps were three men who caught Nico and Percy's eye, which was never a good thing in their experience. They continued walking without a second glance towards the men, hoping there wouldn't be a follow-up reunion anytime soon.

When they arrived at the door Nico automatically went for the knob, turning it, only to find it was locked. There was no doorbell, so Percy shrugged and rapped his fist against the hard surface three times, even though the chances that someone would hear them from inside was unlikely. It was much to their surprise when a slot in the door slid open, revealing a dark pair of bored-looking eyes from the inside of the club. Percy and Nico glanced at each other uncertainly, and then back to the eyes.

"Password," came the masculine, thickly accented voice from the other side of the door.

"We're cops," Nico said immediately, holding his badge before the slot.

The voice laughed. "That don't matter none. Now: password?"

Nico looked flustered by this blatant disrespect for authority, which Percy found amusing for a second, before realizing that he was, ultimately, in the same boat.

"We don't know the password," Percy admitted.

The eyes rolled. "Newbies, mm?" he groaned exasperatedly, as if this were a trial in hell he was being put through, and then focused back on Percy and Nico's expectant faces. "'Kay, you gotta answer a riddle."

"A riddle?" Nico repeated.

"No, I just said that for the fuck of it," the voice snapped. "Now, you gonna listen or not?"

Percy and Nico shared a glance, but both nodded.

"Alright then," the man began, "What's the name of the maiden before she leaves home?"

Percy and Nico exchanged bewildered looks once more. The riddle sounded strange coming from this man's mouth, his voice bored and slightly slurred. And the riddle...the riddle. Needing to know the password to get into exclusive clubs wasn't out of place – it had been stupid of them to not consider the likelihood, in fact. But obtaining the password by means of a riddle? And a riddle as seemingly obscure and obtuse as that?

Nico shook his head, irritated. "You don't _understand_. We're the police." He held up his badge once again, and nudged Percy to do the same. "See here? You've got to let us in," he said, a tad petulantly.

The man on the other side laughed once again, but this time it was entirely without humor. "I'd say it's cute that you two think that matters, but honestly, it's just a pain in my ass. And now, you know what? Even if you do figure out the password, don't bother coming back. _Understand_?" And with that, the eye slot slid closed harshly, with a loud clap as it hit home.

Percy and Nico stared at each other for a moment, and then Percy turned in a circle once in exasperation, his hands in his pant pockets. When he came to face Nico again he was met with a, "What the _fuck _was that?".

"Wish I knew," Percy said, shaking his head. "Any ideas on the riddle?"

Nico scoffed. "Obviously not."

They walked away from the door and back down the steps, stopping just outside the gate. Percy opened his mouth to ask Nico what he thought they should do next, ready to voice a few ideas of his own, but he stopped when he saw Nico's face; he could tell he was thinking the riddle over, going through his entire frame of reference, trying to find any tricks in the question, turning it over in his head again and again. Percy had just been about break his partner's train of thought so they could discuss their plan of action, when a voice from behind them called out, "Hey! You two."

Percy and Nico turned. The voice had come from the group of three men they hadn't noticed before, all leaned against the black fence. Nico put his hands in his pockets, tilting his head up slightly when he said, "Yeah?"

The tallest man from the group, the one who had spoken, chuckled. "Come over here. My friend here –" he gestured to the blond man to his right, "– has something to tell you."

The youngest-looking man in the group groaned, saying to the tall man, "Why don't you just leave them alone?" to which he received a slight shove.

Nico glanced at Percy, who shrugged, as if to say _Why not?_ Nico shrugged in turn and they walked over to the three men, appraising them more carefully than they'd been able to before. The tallest man, who had called them over, had thick, dark hair and a hard face, although there was a mischievous glint in his eye. It'd be a stretch to call him handsome, but he was built like a soldier, and his features would probably be softer if it didn't look like he'd had his nose broken more than once and have the traces of old scars on his face. The blond man to his right was tall and thin, with a kind, absent face, although his blue eyes held depth. The youngest man was dark of hair, eyes, and complexion, with a lean build. Both Nico and Percy noted that he looked a bit like the tallest man who had spoken up originally, if not nearly as rough. All three wore black suits and bowler hats.

Nico and Percy waited expectantly. The man in the middle smiled at them, not at all comfortingly. The blond one was looking at the sky perplexedly. The young one simply looked irritated. Percy cleared his throat.

"Where are my manners, now?" the tallest man asked, eyes crinkling with a devious smile. He took his hat off with a flourish, bowing sardonically. "I'm Set. This –" he gestured to the blond man, "– is Thoth. He'll rarely pay attention to you, but trust me, it's preferable. And this –" he gestured to the young man, who seemed uncomfortable about being spoken of, "– is Anubis. He's...odd. Nothing like myself, he is, but we've all muscled through the tragedy this long, so I'm sure you two will bear it."

Nico and Percy stared at him for a moment. "Wha–?" Percy began to say, but was cut off by Nico, who said, "You mean like the go–"

"Shh!" Set commanded, holding a finger to his lips, although he looked amused. "We're on the down low, you see."

"You mean _you _are," Thoth corrected good naturedly. "I am perfectly within my limits. In fact, one might argue that my association with you is my only fault."

"I'm sure I could argue that it's one of the many," Set countered.

"Well, yes, of course there are many propositions and arguments that could be supposed and presented in the context, as it is, of course, a complex situation with many variables and factors to be taken into account –"

"Yeah, yeah, now is there an actual reason you called us over here besides wasting our time?" Nico interrupted.

"You Greeks." Set clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Why you have a reputation for being hospitable, I'll never know."

Percy began to open his mouth to ask Set how he knew that, when Nico put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. This wasn't the time for those kinds of questions; it would only make everything even more complicated than it actually was.

"You're cops," Set said.

"What's it to you?" Percy said. "You do look like the type to have committed a crime or two in your day, though. Wanna turn yourself in out of guilt so you can repent for your sins?"

Set looked at him bemusedly. "People don't actually do that."

"You'd be surprised," Nico replied.

"Well, I can assure you that's not why I called you two over here," Set supplied.

"Then why?" Percy asked.

"I told you that Thoth here has some information you may find informative and helpful to your cause."

"Oh, yes, I do," Thoth said simply.

"And that would be?" Nico prompted.

"The password, of course," Thoth said, offering a lighter to Set whom had brought a cigarette out of his pocket.

"You know the password?" Percy asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Naturally," Thoth said. "The riddle is quite simple, really."

"Wait, if you know the password –" Percy pointed at Thoth, "– then why aren't you in there?" He pointed to the door of the club.

"Well, the owners of this club are a bit choosy with their members, you see," Thoth explained.

"No, I really don't," Nico said.

"The owners of this establishment don't want any trouble coming in, for logical enough reasons, but really, these particular people getting up on their high horse and banning others who have a much richer culture than their own and so much more to offer overall is truly ridiculous and –"

"They're uppity," Set supplied.

"Quite," Thoth agreed.

"So," Percy said, "because you don't like them and you think we're after them in some way, you're willing to help us?"

"More or less," Thoth said.

"Who are the owners, then? You know them, obviously."

Set cocked his head to the side as if giving this great thought, only to say, "No, I don't think we will be telling you that. That would make it too easy, don't you think?"

"I thought you wanted to help us," Nico ground out.

"Well, I wouldn't go as far to say _that_," Set countered. "You see, we don't like you, either. We just happen not to like them –" Set jerked his thumb towards the door, "– more. This is a lesser of two evils situation, you see."

"You would know all about that," Anubis muttered.

"Indeed!" Set agreed. "And I also know quite a bit about taking sides, and yours is the one I'd rather be on, even if I could care less why you're after this club."

Nico and Percy exchanged bemused glances. "Alright, then," Nico finally said. "What's the password?"

"Ah yes, of course, the riddle," Thoth said. "_What is the name of the maiden before she leaves home_? It's Kore, clearly."

"Kore?" Percy looked to Nico to see his reaction, to see if he was cursing himself for not have realizing it earlier because it really _was _obvious, but he simply looked frustrated. Like someone who couldn't quite recall the proper spelling for a simple word, maybe because it actually was that obvious. Percy recalled a horrifying moment he'd had in grade school, when he couldn't remember how to spell the word 'how' and had worried that somehow the news would be carried back to his mother, who was the last person he wanted to disappoint in such a way.

"Kore," Thoth agreed. "They're not even trying anymore, honestly."

"So...that's it?" Percy said. "Just say 'Kore' and we get in?"

"Not anymore," Anubis said. "He told you not to come back."

Nico shook his head irritably, taking off his hat and running a hand through his dark hair.

"How are we supposed to get in, then?" Percy asked, looking at Nico. "They could care less that we're cops, and we don't have a case against them in any way, so we can't have a raid. We...we'll have to –"

"Sneak in," Nico finished.

"Ooh, this sounds fun!" Set declared. "So fun, in fact, that I believe we'll be willing to help you once more."

"Oh really?" Nico raised his eyebrows.

"Yes," Set said, taking a drag from his cigarette, making a face, and handing it to Anubis, who stared at it like it was a foreign object. "But not until tomorrow. Isn't that right, Thoth?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, not until tomorrow."

"We'll see you tomorrow, then. Right here."

"Why tomorrow?" Percy asked.

"Because it's the only time you'll be able to sneak in."

"And that's because...?"

Set smiled. "All good things come to those who wait, yes? Now why don't you two go back to your wives or girlfriends or what have you."

Anubis and Thoth snorted in unison at this, but it was Anubis who decided to word their amused disbelief. "Why don't _you_?"

Set glared at him. "She's angry with me at the moment, boy," he said in a clipped tone, which surprised Percy and Nico. He may have been far from pleasant before, but throughout the entire conversation there had at least been a note of amusement in his voice.

"She's been angry at you for quite some time," Thoth said. "Perhaps your actual appearance could do something to change that. Or not. I'm not quite sure, actually; I may be out of my element, here."

"You're always out of your element," Set said, before turning back to Percy and Nico, his arms crossed. "Just make sure to be back here tomorrow night, alright? Then maybe you cops could actually close a case for a change."

**-o-**

Nico's own apartment could only be described as depressing, and on days such as this one, when he was on a particularly hard case, he would only end up turning his walls into a map of crime if he returned home. So instead, he went to Rachel's suite at the Plaza Hotel, where she'd been staying since she graduated from Princeton. This had become a sort of tradition of theirs; they'd share a drink, he'd tell her about whatever case he was working at the moment, and Rachel would give her two cents.

More often than not, she did not disappoint.

"My father would know all about it," Rachel commented.

Nico laughed into his drink. "I'm sure he would,"

Rachel laughed too, but said, "No, I mean, he really would. He does. He's...him."

"Your father would know about bootlegging?" Nico asked, incredulous.

Rachel looked amused. "Where have you been, Detective di Angelo?"

Nico shook his head, resting his drink down on the table. "Rachel, your father is a presidential candidate."

The red head raised her eyebrows.

Nico groaned, placing his head in his hands, his overlong black hair falling in front of his face like a curtain. "Are they really _all _corrupt?"

Rachel laughed shortly, taking a sip of her champagne. "I find that the higher up you go on the political ladder, the more corrupt they are, in fact."

"And that's to say...?"

"Nico, my father, Mr. Mayor Warren Dare, republican presidential nominee and hard-ass extraordinaire is in cahoots with _all _the speaks. Especially the swankier ones." Rachel twirled her champagne flute absently.

"So, what, he doles out the moonshine like everyone else? How would that make him more successful?"

Rachel gave him a look. "You _really _don't get out much, do you? I'm going to have to do something about that. Anyway, no, Nico. He, and others like him, in Chicago or Boston or Atlantic City or what have you, are giving out the good stuff."

Nico waited, chin resting in his hand.

"They're not making bathtub gin here, Nico. I'm talking imports. _Brands_. If you ever went out for anything not having to do with a case, you'd know this."

"Hey, you don't see Percy volunteering this information, and he and Annabeth go out all the time."

"Well, yeah, but they're not buying the good stuff! It's expensive. I repeat: brands. Imports."

"Go on, go on."

"British scotch and cognac, Benedictine, Pernod. _Pernod_, Nico."

"I don't know what that is."

"Really, what kind of cop are you?" she scoffed, but there was a lightness to it. "Pernod is Pernod, Nico. Don't question its class."

"So, your father and people like him –"

"Disgustingly wealthy people, yes."

"– are getting brand name liquors imported, and redistributing them?"

"Bingo." She smiled. "At all the hot spots, at least. I mean really, prohibition is the best thing the government could have done for businessmen with less than honorable intentions."

"And you know this how?"

"Dare Heiress, speaking," she said with a grand gesture of her hands. "I spend a lot of time at his office. I see things, I hear things. I smell things."

Nico gave an amused smile, his inhibitions lowered by the alcohol. "Smell things?"

With a sorrowful nod, Rachel said, "The money reeks of Pernod. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but still."

"Hm. So you think your father could be tied up with Club E, as well?"

"I'd be shocked if he isn't. He rubs his dirty money all over all the exclusive clubs with their upturned noses and new cars."

Nico made a face.

"Precisely," Rachel said, eying Nico over her champagne glass. "I really can't believe you're not aware of this. I get that you're simply a cop, making your way and pounding the pavement and all that jazz, but honestly, don't you ever talk to the Prohibition Agents or anything?"

Nico shrugged. "We try to steer clear of them. At least Percy and I do. They're usurpers."

Rachel furrowed her brow. "Usurpers?"

"They think they can do whatever they want, take one of our cases because it interests them for whatever reason, walk all over us, et cetera, et cetera." Nico gave a shrug that somehow managed to look defiant.

Rachel studied Nico's face for a moment. Finally her red lips broke into a grin. "You're really rather idealistic, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, caught off guard.

Rachel broke eye contact, looking down at her glass, her curly, unpinned hair falling forward. Nico could see she had a small, sly smile playing at her mouth. "Oh, you know. You make such a point of keeping up this front of yours –" Rachel gestured at Nico grandly, "**–** this front of cynicism and harsh realism. But really and truly, deep down, Nico di Angelo hates corruption."

Nico snorted.

"It's true," Rachel sing-songed. "You pretend to be at terms with the harsh reality of the world, but really, you long for purity and truth and..." Rachel trailed off, staring past Nico with a watery look in her eyes. "..._justice_," she finally decided.

Nico's impulse was to brush Rachel's insight off with sarcasm, so that's what he did. "Mainly I'm just disappointed in myself for picking the side that doesn't get all the dirty money out of it."

"I'm sure," Rachel said drily. "Well, I can always get you some Pernod from my side of things if it'll help you cope."

**-o-**

"Well, of coursethe answer's Kore, Percy."

"And of _course_ you would know."

Annabeth shrugged in what appeared to be very poor imitation of modesty. "You know I find it important to take a special interest in these matters."

"Yeah, I know," Percy said, falling into a chair heavily.

"Anyway, it's quite simple, really. At least, if what Thoth told you is true. Technically, it could vary on culture, but considering what he told you about him and the other Egyptians not being let in, it makes perfect sense."

Percy took a moment or two longer than he should have to work out what Annabeth had just said. For that he blamed his sleep-deprived mind. But when he did understand, he sat bolt upright.

"What do you mean, it would vary on culture? Why does that matter?"

Annabeth gave him a look."It matters because 'Kore' is Greek, Percy. It _means_ maiden. The answer is literally in the riddle. You should know this." Annabeth crossed her arms. "Nico should know this, too. I'm surprised."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Percy said, his words running together. "You're saying the answer to the riddle is just 'maiden'? Why would the Greek word have to be the answer then...oh my gods."

"There you go," Annabeth said with a smile and nod, coming to sit by him at their modest kitchen table.

"But Annabeth, this means it's bigger than the police station. This isn't just some human speak. If this is actually some of _them _then..."

"It would appear so," Annabeth conceded with a shrug. "You're going to have to play it safe and cool with the department, clearly, but I wouldn't try to push this under the rug either. As weird as it is, this case is the _perfect _case for you and Nico."

Percy made a noise somewhere between a groan and a sigh, letting his head drop onto the table. He felt Annabeth's hand in his hair a moment later, massaging soothingly, and suddenly he didn't feel as tense. They sat there quietly for a few minutes, and when Annabeth spoke again, her voice was low and thoughtful, as if she were speaking to herself and not him.

"I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to guess who precisely is behind it given the riddle, but why they would...ah, I wouldn't worry about it, now. It's probably random. They probably change the riddle constantly."

These words fell on deaf ears, however, for Percy had fallen into a fitful sleep.

**-o-**

Percy and Nico showed up at Club E around the same time they had arrived the night before, having discussed everything they had learned with the help of their lady friends the evening prior.

"Fuck," Nico muttered as they approached the Egyptians. "How are we supposed to play this off at the station, Percy?"

Percy shrugged wearily. "The same way the Prohibition Agents manage to do it?"

"What, just drop the name Club E?"

"I would think."

Nico groaned once more just as they stopped before Thoth, Set, and Anubis, in exactly the same positions and clothes and expressions they'd been in the night before.

"I was beginning to think you'd stood us up," Set said, with what appeared to be an attempt at a pout.

"We could always ditch now," Percy said.

"Ah, but you won't," Set said, and there was a tone of finality in his voice that was so firm it seemed like he had practiced and perfected it over thousands of years – which, Percy and Nico supposed, he probably had. "Now, you see over there?"

Set pointed to an alley next to the side of the dark building. When Percy and Nico squinted, they could see that at the end of the alley, on the street that went along the back of the club, was a truck. And from that truck, crates were being unloaded by four or five men, carried down the alley a bit, and then down into a cellar door in the ground, that undoubtedly led to where the club stored its alcohol.

"That beauty right there," Set continued, "is your way in."

"How did you know –" Percy began, but was cut off by Thoth, who said, "They deliver on Tuesdays and Fridays, always."

"How observant," Nico remarked, not without admiration. "But how do you expect us to get in unnoticed, exactly?"

"Well, this is where we come in, once again," Set supplied, crossing his arms.

Percy exhaled in disbelief. "You _really _hate them, don't you?"

"Well," Set said, "you know what they say about grudges." Nico visibly tensed. Percy glanced at him for a moment, but the Egyptians didn't seem to notice, and if they did, they didn't appear to care.

"And what, you plan on causing some big distraction like in the movies?" Percy said, unconvinced.

"Exactly," Set said with an evil grin, and the next thing they knew he had turned his back on them and thrown his arms wide, as if beckoning to the sky.

"WHAT," Set boomed, "MUST AN ALMIGHTY GOD DO TO GET A DRINK AROUND HERE?"

There was a collective jump in the area. All the loiterers abruptly stopped talking and turned in Set's direction, staring. Percy and Nico took a mutual step back, eyes wide. Even Anubis winced. The men unloading the alcohol turned in the direction of the outburst, but other than that they did not appear to react – or, at least, Percy and Nico couldn't make out much of a reaction from where they stood. The only one who looked unfazed was Thoth, who was analyzing the situation with a keen eye.

One of the men in the alley finally called out, in a loud, exasperated voice, "What's the matter over there?"

"I _said_," Set continued, waltzing over to the alley so he could more easily communicate with the workers, "what must _I _do to get a drink around here?"

Percy and Nico may have been surprised, but they weren't stupid. While everyone's attention was on Set, they discreetly edged closer to the building, although at the moment there was still no way they could get into the alley without being noticed. They stayed right on the corner edge of the building by the alley, waiting for whatever Set had planned so they could slip around the corner and into the cellar – a prospect which, from their current position, was going to require _quite _the scene from Set.

Set had entered the alley by then, and neither Percy nor Nico could see him anymore from where they stood. They were, however, close enough to pick up most of the conversation. One of the crate-carrying men coughed loudly, saying, "Listen, buddy, I don't know what your problem is, but –"

Percy and Nico still couldn't see what was happening within the alley, but they heard a crack, a collective gasp from the crowd of onlookers, and a few moments later, a large crash. They could make out the sounds of splintering wood and shattering glass.

There were a few seconds of absolute silence – even the crickets weren't making a sound, Percy swore – and then several things happened at once. A few bottles of pristine cognac and whiskey rolled out of the mouth of the alleyway, and the loiterers rushed forward from the sidewalk, jumping on them in a manner that could only be described as ravenous. The men within the alley began screaming obscenities at Set, but it wasn't long before Percy and Nico heard the same crashing of crates and splintering of wood and shattering of glass that Set had caused before. The crowd had swarmed to the alleyway in its entirety, now, and in the chaos Percy and Nico saw their opportunity. Slipping around the corner and into the alley, Percy and Nico managed to squeeze past the crowd and deeper into the alley. They saw that the workers had gone into an absolute frenzy, not sure how to stop Set, who continued to topple and throw and abuse the remaining crates with unnatural strength and speed. Their attention was completely focused on Set as they attempted to stop him, failing miserably. Nico and Percy slipped past them as easily as a snake through the grass, and quicker than they would have dared hope, they found themselves descending the narrow steps that led to the dark cellar. They could still hear the shouting from above as they quickly jumped into a shadowy corner of the cellar, but it sounded subdued, due to the fact that the noise from the club – just upstairs, now – was so much closer.

Percy and Nico waited for a few moments more, trying to make sure no one else was in the cellar as well, but also knowing that they had to be quick so none of the men from outside would come down and catch them. Luckily, it appeared the cellar was empty save for themselves, and from the sounds of it, Set was continuing to keep them busy outside. They heard what was, more likely than not, Set's crazed laughter, and exchanged a look.

The young detectives slowly crept out of the shadows and into the center of the cellar. Wines and scotches and whiskeys and all manner of expensive-looking alcohol were stored delicately and orderly throughout the shelves and racks of the clean cellar. The room had wood walls and floors and smelled surprisingly sweet, like a fruit, Nico thought, although he couldn't quite put his finger on which one.

Nico and Percy nodded to each other and went to a dark set of stairs on the other side of the room that undoubtedly led up to the club. They were very narrow, so Percy had to take them first with Nico just behind him. When they reached the top they were met with a sturdy black door, and Percy had to squint to see that it was locked with a simple sliding bolt. Percy turned to look at Nico, who just shrugged, and then turned back, sliding it open quickly. They took a deep breath, and opened the door.

They were met by a bright light, intensified due to the darkness of the cellar. They were not at all surprised to see how huge and packed with people the club was, but it was still an overwhelming sensation, especially with the cacophony of noises that bombarded their ears. There were tables and booths everywhere filled with men and women, laughing and shouting to be heard over the music that came from the large stage in the room, where a band played and a woman wearing a sparkly dress sang. The bar was long and stocked full of every type of liquor there was, and it was definitely the most crowded spot in the room, which was saying something. If Nico and Percy had been worried that someone would notice them coming out of the cellar door, it quickly became apparent that no-one was paying attention to them.

They kept their backs to the door, taking in the unbelievable scene with wide eyes. Everyone in the club were clearly of different classes; some of the people wore fine, impeccably clean and ironed clothing, while others were clad in patched, wrinkled garb. But still, it appeared that everyone was getting the same treatment from the management, as no one looked disappointed by the scene they had been allowed into.

"Hey!" Nico called to Percy over the noise, shoving him, and Percy realized that Nico must have been trying to get his attention for a while, but he had been distracted and unable to hear him.

"Yeah?" Percy all but shouted back.

"Look," Nico said, gesturing to a grand staircase positioned in one corner of the club, not too far from where they were standing. It led up to a balcony that wound around the entire second level of the club, overlooking the main room. Percy understood what Nico meant: their best chance of finding any offices where the owners or management of the club would be located would be by going to the higher levels.

Percy nodded, and they made their way up the grand staircase. It was covered in a rich, red-purple carpet. As they went up the steps, passing men and women who went up and down as well, arm in arm, they got a good view of the huge chandelier that hung over the room below, its crystals glittering and reflecting light across the room.

When they reached the second level, they saw that save for narrow walkways that ran behind the rich-wooded balcony, it was mainly designated to gambling. A woman with long red hair spun a roulette table, and men in clean cut black suits stood before the poker tables. Percy and Nico ignored this, looking for more doors that would lead to any higher floors of the building. At one end of the narrow halls they saw a simple looking mahogany door. It was the only one of its kind, so they figured it was a safe bet.

They went over to it, and Percy turned the knob. Locked. Nico and Percy sighed, and agreed to lean back against the wall for a bit, waiting to see if anyone would come out so they could then slip in. They stood there for about ten minutes, talking to each other about nothing in order to seem inconspicuous. Finally, a man wearing a dark suit came out of the door, not even glancing at them as he carried out what looked to be a rack of chips for the poker tables. Percy quickly stopped the door with his foot, and together he and Nico slipped in.

They were met with another set of stairs, these not nearly as well kept as any of the other rooms they had seen in the club. It was cold and dark and steely, and Nico and Percy felt unsettled as they made their way up to the next floor, not quite sure what they would find (although they had their suspicions), or what to do when they found it. When they came to the third floor, they saw light illuminating a protruding hallway to their right; they ignored the next set of stairs before them, and began to slink down the hallway, keeping their backs to the wall and their breathing muffled.

"Well, maybe if you didn't spend so much time with that dull husband of yours, you'd know about this," came a dry, masculine voice from the room that the light was spilling from.

"Hear, hear," agreed another masculine voice, although this one was considerably more jovial than the one that had spoken before. Nico and Percy exchanged a look. It seemed their suspicions were true, for they recognized those voices.

Suddenly the door to the room closed, and they could no longer hear the voices coming from inside. Nico gestured to the window that looked into the room past the door. If they stayed low enough to the ground, they could just peek through it without being noticed. They crawled along the floor and crouched as low as they could under the window, not daring to peek over the edge yet. They strained their ears to try to hear the voices and get an idea of whether or not it was safe to look.

They couldn't make out quite what the voices were saying, but they could determine them from each other. There were still the two male voices, and the timber of their voices led Nico and Percy to believe that they were continuing to tease the third party in the room, whom they had determined to be female. Nico had frowned the first time he heard her speak, as if there was something off, but Percy had dismissed it and continued to listen as best he could, inching slowly up to the ledge of the window, getting ready to take a quick peek in...

Nico, on the other hand, was continually disturbed by the female voice. He couldn't place what it was that had immediately made him feel uneasy about it – he couldn't even make out what she was saying, after all – but he knew he recognized it. As he strained his ears to figure out who she was, trying to match her voice with all the feminine voices he'd ever heard, he was suddenly interrupted by Percy, who lowly murmured, "Holy shit" from beside him.

"_What _is it," Nico hissed lowly, angry at Percy for speaking at all.

"Nico, look," Percy whispered back, and when Nico glanced towards him, he saw that his friend was peeking just over the ledge of the window.

"Stop," Nico hissed back, his curiosity entirely misplaced. "I'm trying to listen."

"Nico," Percy repeated, insistently.

Nico ignored him this time, as yet another voice entered the room, this one female as well and causing the same prickling sensation to go up his spine. He knew these voices, he _knew _them. If only the door were still open –

"_Nico_," Percy said again, but this time he gave him a good punch in the arm as well. "_Look_."

"_What_?" Nico demanded once again, barely managing to keep his voice low. But he shifted to peek into the room as well, and the moment he did, everything made sense, in the most horrifying way imaginable.

"...holy shit," Nico murmured, in much the way Percy had before.

"It's your...step-mother," Percy managed weakly. "And...her mother."

And speak of the devil took on an entire new meaning in that moment, as just a beat after Percy uttered those words, Persephone's eyes swept over them.

Percy and Nico still couldn't make out their words exactly, but from their lip-reading abilities, it seemed that Persephone said something along the lines of, "What in all of..." just as Demeter turned her attention to the spot that her daughter's eyes were fixed on, Apollo and Dionysus doing the same.

The two demigods did the natural thing in such a situation: they ran.

First: Review, _please_!

Second: A few historical references that not everyone will know:

* * *

**The Eleusinian Mysteries: **These were reeeeally cool, and occurred in Ancient Greece (you know it). Basically, the cult of Demeter and Persephone was a HUGE thing in Ancient Greece. They were basically these initiation ceremonies, honoring the yearly trip Persephone took every year to the Underworld, but mainly her return to her mother. It was held in three parts, being the "descent" (loss), the "search", and the "ascent", which was Seph's reunion with her mom, and the main part focused on. The Really Cool Thing about these ceremonies was that anyone/everyone was allowed, and the only guidelines were that you could not have murdered anyone. Considering the restraints put on people back in the day (especially slaves, women, anyone who wasn't a noble) this is incredibly awesome. And, it was so popular that it later spread to Rome.

Now, here's the main thing about the Eleusinian Mysteries that is so fascinating, and the main theme that sort of explored through Club E (which is my equivalent) in this fic: They were MYSTERIES. No one really knows what happened after the initiation! Some shit went down, we know that, but it's not known what happened during the actual mysteries. This is especially because anyone who was initiated in was sworn to secrecy, and if they told anyone outside of the ceremony about what went down, they were sentenced to trial, and a likely execution. So, people were really quiet about this, as the Greeks took their shit seriously. In my fic, this translates to the people not talking much - if at all - about Club E outside of Club E, despite its popularity. It's sort of like Fight Club. You _do not _talk about Fight Club!

**Speakeasies and Clubs in General: **Everyone should know about Prohibition in the 20's. If you don't, shame on you. History's awesome, appreciate. Basically though, the consumption of alcohol became illegal in the '20's, which simply resulted in it being sold even more, for larger sums of money. You know, by all those gangsters that are so famous. Ever hear of Al Capone. Yeah, that's one of the things he did. Him, Lucky Luciano, Nucky Johnson, and a bunch of other Italian and Irish guys. You know what, you should all just go watch the show _Boardwalk Empire_. It's awesome, and is about all of those people (mainly Nucky). Also, it's fairly accurate, so if you don't know much about this era and would like to learn more in a fun way, go watch that show. But yeah, basically Speakeasies ("Speaks") and clubs became the main way for people to go get their liquor, as that's where all the gangster's supplied to. Club E is fictional (created by moi) and supposed to be the modern day (at least for the '20's) version of the Eleusinian Mysteries. It is accurate in terms of what goes down in the club (other than godly activity).

**Cops and Prohibition Agents: **Most of these guys weren't _really _trying to crack down on the consumption of alcohol. They all knew about how much everyone _did not curr_ about the law against it. Most of them didn't care either! Sure, there were a few who probably took it very seriously and tried to crack down on the law (there's a very interesting character like this in _Boardwalk Empire, _actually) but they were the minority, and the way in which Percy and Nico talk about Prohibition would be accurate for most people back then, including cops. Note: they drink it too. This could be because, like I said, most of them didn't care, or they were just getting paid off. Either one. Just, moral of the story: NO ONE CARES.


End file.
